INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Hundreds of people climbed up the stairs of Indiana’s tallest building on Saturday to raise money for charity.

The American Lung Association hosted its 15th Fight for Air Climb at Salesforce Tower in downtown Indianapolis. Just over 500 people signed up before the event on Saturday. Participants were split into two groups — ultimate and general climbers — on their way up 47 flights for the event.

According to Tanya Hussain, the executive director of American Lung Association Indiana, it takes the ultimate climbers about six minutes to go up 47 flights of stairs for the event. Meanwhile, the average climber will take some time between 20 to 30 minutes to complete the trek.

Ultimate climber Jim Campbell is a firefighter in Pike Township. He set a goal of doing the climb 10 times on Saturday.

“Breathing clean air is very important to us, hence the air pack (on our backs),” Campbell said. “I’ve also had a couple of friends die from lung cancer. So, this is a cause that’s very near and dear to my heart. The folks at the American Lung Association are super.”

Also among the ultimate climbers was James Wigginton, who holds the record for climbing and descending 1 million stair steps — which took him 135 days.

The event welcomes many teams to take on the challenge. This year’s top fundraiser was Quarles Climbers for Maddie, raising $6,320 for the nonprofit.

It’s the tenth year Kirsten and Joel Tragesser have organized the team with coworkers and family friends. Over that time, they’ve raised about $116,000.

Like many participants, they have a connection to the cause. The couple lost their daughter Maddie to pulmonary hypertension when she was only three years old.

“Losing a child is one of the most sour things you can experience,” Kirsten said. “You do what you can to make something resembling lemonade, right? This is one way that I do (it), that Joel does at his firm, with our friends and family. It’s just really special.”

Money raised from the event funds the nonprofit’s efforts to research and educate about lung diseases. The American Lung Association also leads efforts in anti-smoking and clean air campaigns.

Local board member Dr. Anthony Ascioti says he sees Hoosiers face the issue every day as the Chief of Surgery at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital.

“Smoking is very big still in Indiana,” Ascioti said. “We see a lot of patients with emphysema, lung cancer, other lung diseases. So it’s a struggle to try and turn that tide. This is part of that process.”

The American Lung Association puts on climbs in 40 cities across the country. Nationally, about 20,000 people participate every year. 

Skyscrapers in Boston, Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, and Oakbrook, Illinois, also hosted Fight for Air Climbs on the same weekend.